I have one rooster that, sadly, I'll need to sell or give away since he's starting to crow. I'm hoping to set a few of his eggs before he goes, and was excited to see him gettin' it on with my Isbar about two weeks ago (and regularly since, romantics that they are). I checked one of her eggs a few says after that first date for fertility, and it seemed to be good to go...but the eggs I've set since have failed to develop. I went ahead and opened up the eggs from the 14th and 15th of January, since they weren't even veining yet, and they did appear to have quit (very) early on, though I also cracked one she laid today and it didn't appear fertile. Am I missing something? Do my chickens not know how this whole "mating" thing works? Should I get them one of those mortifying sex education books? :-D
If your roos is just starting to crow he is young I take it. he is feeling his oats just not mature yet. Not sure where you are at but in winter roos are less fertile unless they get 14 to 16 hours of light. But if you think it would help get a good pic book explaining the process for them.
Correct, he is quite young! This is good to know. I hope I can hold off giving him away until I have a few eggs to set! But maybe I'll go out and give them all a firm "birds and the bees" talk anyway.
I think you'd be better off to purchase some fertile eggs from nearby as that would probably prove cheaper than a $$fine for having a roo if you're not supposed to have one. Double down on that if you're not on the best terms with neighbors. Young roos are notorious for shooting "blanks" until they are older. Good luck whatever you do.
What did you see when you opened the eggs that indicated they had started to develop but then quit? Have you cracked eggs and seen good blastoderm? Have you looked at photos so you know what you are looking for? Next question: What are you using for an incubator? Fan or no fan? What are you using for a temperature? Where are you measuring the temperature? Have you calibrated your thermometers, and if so, how did you calibrate?
I'm with lazy gardener - check your thermometer and hygrometer to make sure they are reading properly.
This is what I'm seeing in the eggs I crack after a few days and no veining. They look like they're fertile, to me (that bullseye), but nothing ever happens! Am I misreading?
Any other thoughts? It looks fertile to me too-- but this one was in the incubator for about six days and didn't do a thing.